One dead in fire at student apartment near USC

A fire at a student housing complex near USC’s campus left one person dead Tuesday afternoon. The victim was not a student, according to David Carlisle, assistant chief at USC’s Department of Public Safety.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to the one-unit fire on the second floor of the Heritage student apartments at 2353 Portland St. around 2 p.m. The unidentified victim was declared dead at the scene.

Heritage manages multiple properties near USC and is not affiliated with the university. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for the LA County Medical Examiner, which is responsible for identifying fire victims, did not respond to requests for comment, either.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Tomo Chien can be reached at [email protected].